A Long-Term Radar Survey of M-Class Asteroids

Details A Long-Term Radar Survey of M-Class Asteroids A Long-Term Radar Survey of M-Class Asteroids

Aug 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005dps....37.0707s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #37, #07.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 37, p.628

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

2

Scientific paper

We have begun a long-term radar survey of M-class asteroids. Because metals are denser and more radar reflective than silicates, an asteroid's radar cross-section can provide unambiguous information on its composition and near surface porosity [1]. Until August 2004, only eight M-class asteroids had been observed with radar: 16 Psyche [2,3], 21 Lutetia [3], 22 Kalliope [3], 83 Beatrix (unpublished), 97 Klotho [3], 216 Kleopatra [4], 796 Sarita [3], and 6178 (1986 DA) [1]. Of these, only two, 216 Kleopatra and 6178 (1986 DA), are unambiguously metallic [1,4]. Radar observations of 16 Psyche are consistent with a metal composition if the surface porosity is similar to the Moon (porosity of 30%-50%) [2]. A recent analysis of infrared spectra determined that Psyche and Kleopatra formed under reducing conditions and is also consistent with a metallic interpretation [5].
In the past year, we observed the M-class asteroids 129 Antigone, 135 Hertha, 224 Oceana, 325 Heidelberga, and 785 Zwetana using the Arecibo S-band radar. Our goal is to increase the number of radar observed M-class targets to 40 within the next five years.
Acknowledgements. This work is partially supported by a grant from Bloomsburg University to MKS. The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is operated by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation and with support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Refs. [1] Ostro et al. Science 252, 1399-1404, 1991. [2] Ostro et al. Science 229,442-446, 1985. [3] Magri et al. Icarus 140, 379-407, 1999. [4] Ostro et al. Science 288, 836-839, 2000. [5] Hardersen et al. Icarus 175, 141-158, 2005.

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